Divine Office Office of Readings

Feb 16, Invitatory for Monday of the 6th week of Ordinary Time

Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord. Psalm 24 The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples. It is he who set it on the seas; on the waters he made it firm. Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things, who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor. Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord. He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob. Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord. Who is the king of glory? The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, the Lord, the valiant in war. Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord. Who is he, the king of glory? He, the Lord of armies, he is the king of glory. Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Feb 16, Office of Readings for Monday of the 6th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 651 Proper of Seasons: 201 Psalter: Monday, Week II, 847 Christian Prayer: Does not contain Office of Readings Office of Readings for Monday in Ordinary Time God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN Be thou my vision, through night and come day Light on me always, thy spirit to stay Thou, eternal father, the great and the last The wise and true sov’reign of all that shall pass. Be thou my wisdom, my staff and my stay, Shine through the darkness, give light to my way! Be thou the true source of all I enjoy So, let carnal pleasures no longer annoy. Be thou my guardian my sword in the fight Be thou my dignity thou my delight Thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tow’r Wilt thou raise me heaven ward, o pow’r of my pow’r. Riches I heed not, or man’s empty praise Thou my inheritance, now and always Thou and thou only, still first in my heart The high king of heaven my treasure thou art. High king of heaven, my victory won May I reach heaven’s joys, o bright heaven’s sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall Still be thou my vision, o ruler of all. 𝄞"Be Thou My Vision" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NQ34YZ4/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk10] • Musical Score [https://divineoffice.org/wp-content/uploads/Be-Thou-My-Vision.pdf] • Title: Be Thou My Vision; Text: from Mark Hamilton Dewey's SSATBB arrangement; Tune: SLANE; Copyright: Public Domain; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1 PSALMODY Ant. 1 Bow down and hear me, Lord; come to my rescue. Psalm 31 A troubled person’s confident appeal to God Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit (Luke 23:46). I In you, O Lord, I take refuge. Let me never be put to shame. In your justice, set me free, hear me and speedily rescue me. Be a rock of refuge for me, a mighty stronghold to save me, for you are my rock, my stronghold. For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Release me from the snares they have hidden for you are my refuge, Lord. Into your hands I commend my spirit. It is you who will redeem me, Lord. O God of truth, you detest those who worship false and empty gods. As for me, I trust in the Lord: let me be glad and rejoice in your love. You have seen my affliction and taken heed of my soul’s distress, have not handed me over to the enemy, but set my feet at large. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Bow down and hear me, Lord; come to my rescue. Ant. 2 Lord, let the light of your countenance shine on your servant. II Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in distress. Tears have wasted my eyes, my throat and my heart. For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighs. Affliction has broken down my strength and my bones waste away. In the face of all my foes I am a reproach, an object of scorn to my neighbors and of fear to my friends. Those who see me in the street run far away from me. I am like a dead man, forgotten, like a thing thrown away. I have heard the slander of the crowd, fear is all around me, as they plot together against me, as they plan to take my life. But as for me, I trust in you, Lord, I say: “You are my God. My life is in your hands, deliver me from the hands of those who hate me. Let your face shine on your servant. Save me in your love.” Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Lord, let the light of your countenance shine on your servant. Ant. 3 Blessed be the Lord, for he has poured out his mercy upon me. III How great is the goodness, Lord, that you keep for those who fear you, that you show to those who trust you in the sight of men. You hide them in the shelter of your presence from the plotting of men: you keep them safe within your tent from disputing tongues. Blessed be the Lord who has shown me the wonders of his love in a fortified city. “I am far removed from your sight,” I said in my alarm. Yet you heard the voice of my plea when I cried for help. Love the Lord, all you saints. He guards his faithful but the Lord will repay to the full those who act with pride. Be strong, let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer God of kindness and truth, you saved your Chosen One, Jesus Christ, and you gave your martyrs strength. Watch over your people who come to you here and strengthen the hearts of those who hope in you, that they may proclaim your saving acts of kindness in the eternal city. Ant. Blessed be the Lord, for he has poured out his mercy upon me. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. Guide me in the way of your truth and teach me. — For you are my saving God. READINGS First reading From the book of Proverbs 3:1-20 How one finds wisdom My son, forget not my teaching, keep in mind my commands; For many days, and years of life, and peace, will they bring you. Let not kindness and fidelity leave you; bind them around your neck; Then will you win favor and good esteem before God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil; This will mean health for your flesh and vigor for your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth, with first fruits of all your produce; Then will your barns be filled with grain, with new wine your vats will overflow. The discipline of the Lord, my son, disdain not; spurn not his reproof; For whom the Lord loves he reproves, and he chastises the son he favors. Happy the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding! For her profit is better than profit in silver, and better than gold is her revenue; She is more precious than corals, and none of your choice possessions can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand, in her left are riches and honor; Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace; She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, and he is happy who holds her fast. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, established the heavens by understanding; By his knowledge the depths break open, and the clouds drop down dew. RESPONSORY Proverbs 3;11, 12; Hebrews 12:7 Do not resent the Lord’s correction, and take no offense when he rebukes you; — for those whom he loves the Lord reproves, just as a father chastises a favorite son. God is treating you as his sons, for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? — For those whom he loves the Lord reproves, just as a father chastises a favorite son. Second reading From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot On the search for wisdom Let us work for the food which does not perish—our salvation. Let us work in the vineyard of the Lord to earn our daily wage in the wisdom which says: Those who work in me will not sin. Christ tells us: The field is the world. Let us work in it and dig up wisdom, its hidden treasure, a treasure we all look for and want to obtain. If you are looking for it, really look. Be converted and come. Converted from what? From your own willfulness. “But,” you may say, “if I do not find wisdom in my own will, where shall I find it? My soul eagerly desires it. And I will not be satisfied when I find it, if it is not a generous amount, a full measure, overflowing into my hands.” You are right, for blessed is the man who finds wisdom and is full of prudence. Look for wisdom while it can still be found. Call for it while it is near. Do you want to know how near it is? The word is near you, in your heart and on your lips, provided that you seek it honestly. Insofar as you find wisdom in your heart, prudence will flow from your lips, but be careful that it flows from and not away from them, or that you do not vomit it up. If you have found wisdom, you have found honey. But do not eat so much that you become too full and bring it all up. Eat so that you are always hungry. Wisdom says: Those who eat me continue to hunger. Do not think you have too much of it, but do not eat too much or you will throw it up. If you do, what you seem to have will be taken away from you, because you gave up searching too soon. While wisdom is near and while it can be found, look for it and ask for its help. Solomon says: A man who eats too much honey does himself no good; similarly, the man who seeks his own glorification will be crushed by that same renown. Happy is the man who has found wisdom. Even more happy is the man who lives in wisdom, for he perceives its abundance. There are three ways for wisdom or prudence to abound in you: if you confess your sins, if you give thanks and praise, and if your speech is edifying. Man believes with his heart and so he is justified. He confesses with his lips and so he is saved. In the beginning of his speech the just man is his own accuser, next he gives glory to God, and thirdly, if his wisdom extends that far, he edifies his neighbor. RESPONSORY Wisdom 7:10, 11; 8:2 I have loved wisdom more than health or beauty, and I preferred her more than the light of day. — All good things came to me in her company. From my youth I have loved wisdom and sought her, and I became enamored of her beauty. — All good things came to me in her company. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who teach us that you abide in hearts that are just and true, grant that we may be so fashioned by your grace as to become a dwelling pleasing to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. Acclamation (at least in the communal celebration) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

Feb 17, Invitatory for Tuesday of the 6th week of Ordinary Time

Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God. Psalm 100 Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing for joy. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God. Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him, we are his people, the sheep of his flock. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God. Go within his gates, giving thanks. Enter his courts with songs of praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God. Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love. He is faithful from age to age. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God.

Feb 17, Office of Readings for Tuesday of the 6th week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 651 Proper of Seasons: 205 Psalter: Tuesday, Week II, 869 Office of Readings for Tuesday in Ordinary Time God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home. Beneath the shadow of Your throne Your saints have dwelt secure; Sufficient is your arm alone, And our defense is sure. Before the hills in order stood, Or earth received her frame, From everlasting you are God, To endless years the same. A thousand ages in your sight Are like an evening gone; Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun. Time, like an ever rolling stream, Bears all our lives away; They fly, forgotten, as a dream Dies at the opening day. O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be now our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home. 𝄞"O God, Our Help in Ages Past" by Melinda Kirigin-Voss [https://divineoffice.org/melinda-kirigin-voss/], Vince Clark • Musical Score [https://divineoffice.org/wp-content/uploads/O-God-Our-Help-in-Ages-Past.pdf] • Title: O God, Our Help in Ages Past; Text: Based on Psalm 90; Isaac Watts, 1674-1748, Psalms of David..., 1719, alt.; Tune: ST. ANNE, CM; later form of melody (rhythm adapted), attr. to William Croft, 1678-1727, A Supplement to the New Version of Psalms, 1708; Artist: Melinda Kirigin-Voss, Vince Clark; Copyright 2016 Surgeworks Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office PSALMODY Ant. 1 Surrender to God, and he will do everything for you. Psalm 37 The lot of the wicked and the good Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). I Do not fret because of the wicked; do not envy those who do evil: for they wither quickly like grass and fade like the green of the fields. If you trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live in the land and be secure. If you find your delight in the Lord, he will grant your heart’s desire. Commit your life to the Lord, trust in him and he will act, so that your justice breaks forth like the light, your cause like the noon-day sun. Be still before the Lord and wait in patience; do not fret at the man who prospers; a man who makes evil plots to bring down the needy and the poor. Calm your anger and forget your rage; do not fret, it only leads to evil. For those who do evil shall perish; the patient shall inherit the land. A little longer—and the wicked shall have gone. Look at his place, he is not there. But the humble shall own the land and enjoy the fullness of peace. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Surrender to God, and he will do everything for you. Ant. 2 Turn away from evil, learn to do God’s will; the Lord will strengthen you if you obey him. II The wicked man plots against the just and gnashes his teeth against him; but the Lord laughs at the wicked for he sees that his day is at hand. The sword of the wicked is drawn, his bow is bent to slaughter the upright. Their sword shall pierce their own hearts and their bows shall be broken to pieces. The just man’s few possessions are better than the wicked man’s wealth; for the power of the wicked shall be broken and the Lord will support the just. He protects the lives of the upright, their heritage will last for ever. They shall not be put to shame in evil days, in time of famine their food shall not fail. But the wicked shall perish and all the enemies of the Lord. They are like the beauty of the meadows, they shall vanish, they shall vanish like smoke. The wicked man borrows without repaying, but the just man is generous and gives. Those blessed by the Lord shall own the land, but those he has cursed shall be destroyed. The Lord guides the steps of a man and makes safe the path of the one he loves. Though he stumble he shall never fall for the Lord holds him by the hand. I was young and now I am old, but I have never seen the just man forsaken nor his children begging for bread. All the day he is generous and lends and his children become a blessing. Then turn away from evil and do good and you shall have a home for ever; for the Lord loves justice and will never forsake his friends. The unjust shall be wiped out for ever and the children of the wicked destroyed. The just shall inherit the land; there they shall live forever. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Turn away from evil, learn to do God’s will; the Lord will strengthen you if you obey him. Ant. 3 Wait for the Lord to lead, then follow in his way. III The just man’s mouth utters wisdom And his lips speak what is right; the law of his God is in his heart, his steps shall be saved from stumbling. The wicked man watches for the just and seeks occasion to kill him. The Lord will not leave him in his power nor let him be condemned when he is judged. Then wait for the Lord, keep to his way. It is he who will free you from the wicked, raise you up to possess the land and see the wicked destroyed. I have seen the wicked triumphant, towering like a cedar of Lebanon. I passed by again; he was gone. I searched; he was nowhere to be found. See the just man, mark the upright, for the peaceful man a future lies in store, but sinners shall all be destroyed. No future lies in store for the wicked. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord, their stronghold in time of distress. The Lord helps them and delivers them and saves them: for their refuge is in him. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer You proclaimed the poor to be blessed, Lord Jesus, for the kingdom of heaven is given to them. Fill us generously with your gifts. Teach us to put our trust in the Father and to seek his kingdom first of all rather than imitate the powerful and envy the rich. Ant. Wait for the Lord to lead, then follow in his way. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. Teach me goodness and holy wisdom. — For I have put my trust in your guidance. READINGS First reading From the book of Proverbs 8:1-5, 12-36 Praise of infinite wisdom Does not Wisdom call, and Understanding raise her voice? On the top of the heights along the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand; By the gates at the approaches of the city, in the entryways she cries aloud: “To you, O men, I call; my appeal is to the children of men. You simple ones, gain resource, you fools, gain sense. “I, Wisdom, dwell with experience, and judicious knowledge I attain. [The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;] Pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth I hate. Mine are counsel and advice; mine is strength; I am understanding. By me kings reign, and lawgivers establish justice; By me princes govern, and nobles; all the rulers of earth. “Those who love me I also love, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than pure gold, and my revenue than choice silver. On the way of duty I walk, along the paths of justice, Granting wealth to those who love me, and filling their treasuries. “The Lord begot me, the first-born of his ways, the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago; From of old I was poured forth, at the first, before the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains or springs of water; Before the mountains were settled into place, before the hills, I was brought forth; While as yet the earth and the fields were not made, nor the first clods of the world. “When he established the heavens I was there, when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep; When he made firm the skies above, when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth; When he set for the sea its limit, so that the waters should not transgress his command; Then was I beside him as his craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, Playing before him all the while, playing on the surface of his earth; and I found delight in the sons of men. “So now, O children, listen to me; instruction and wisdom do not reject! Happy the man who obeys me, and happy those who keep my ways, Happy the man watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts; For he who finds me finds life, and wins favor from the Lord; But he who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death.” RESPONSORY Proverbs 8:22; John 1:1 In the beginning, before he made the earth, — the Lord created me. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. — The Lord created me. Second reading From the Discourses against the Arians by Saint Athanasius, bishop We know the Father through creative and incarnate Wisdom The only-begotten Son, the Wisdom of God, created the entire universe. Scripture says: You have made all things by your wisdom, and the earth is full of your creatures. Yet simply to be was not enough: God also wanted his creatures to be good. That is why he was pleased that his own wisdom should descend to their level and impress upon each of them singly and upon all of them together a certain resemblance to their Model. It would then be manifest that God’s creatures shared in his wisdom and that his works were worthy of him. For as the word we speak is an image of the Word who is God’s Son, so also is the wisdom implanted in us an image of the Wisdom who is God’s Son. It gives us the ability to know and understand and so makes us capable of receiving him who is all-creative Wisdom, through whom we can come to know the Father. Whoever has the Son has the Father also, Scripture says, and Whoever receives me receives the One who sent me. And so, since this image of the Wisdom of God has been produced in us and in all creatures, the true and creative Wisdom rightly takes to himself what applies to his image and says: The Lord created me in his works. But because the world was not wise enough to recognize God in his wisdom, as we have explained it, God determined to save those who believe by means of the “foolish” message that we preach. Not wishing to be known any longer, as in former times, through the mere image and shadow of his wisdom existing in creatures, he caused the true Wisdom himself to take flesh, to become man, and to suffer death on the cross so that all who believed in him might be saved by faith. Yet this was the same Wisdom of God who had in the beginning revealed himself and his Father through himself by means of his image in creatures (which is why Wisdom too is said to be created). Later, as John declares, that Wisdom, who is also the Word, became flesh, and after destroying the power of death and saving our race, he revealed himself and his Father through himself with greater clarity. Grant, he prayed, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. So now the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of God, since it is one and the same thing to know the Father through the Son, and to know the Son who comes from the Father. The Father rejoices in his Son, and with the same joy the Son delights in the Father and says: I was his joy; every day I took delight in his presence. RESPONSORY Colossians 2:6, 9; Matthew 23:10 Since you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, live your life in union with him, — for in him the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form. You have only one teacher, the Christ. — For in him the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form. Concluding Prayer O God, who teach us that you abide in hearts that are just and true, grant that we may be so fashioned by your grace as to become a dwelling pleasing to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

Feb 18, About Today for Wednesday of the 0th week of Lent

About Today - Ash Wednesday, watercolor, detail by Julian Fałat [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Fa%C5%82at_Julian%2C_Popielec.jpg] ASH WEDNESDAY “Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near,” (James 5:8). [1][2] Today is Ash Wednesday and the start of a new Lenten season. Pope Francis encourages the faithful to live “in the presence of the Father [who] gives us a much deeper joy than worldly glory can give us. May our attitude this Lent be one of living in secret where the Father sees us, loves us and waits for us. Naturally, exterior things are important too, but we must always choose to live in the presence of God. Let us do what we can, in prayer, in sacrifice, and in acts of charity, humbly before God. This way we will be worthy of God the Father’s reward.” May each of us have a blessed Lent.[3] [1] New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [2] Irish Province of Society of Jesus, Sacred Space for Lent 2015, (Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2015). [3] Pope Francis, Audio-message to the young people of the Prelature of the Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii., www.vatican.va.